The sound quality is superbly balanced too, with deep, detailed bass, expressive mids and engaging highs. They're a very musical listen for the money. The Ultra Earbuds have definitely improved over the QC II with regard to sound quality, too. There’s a familiar richness and fullness to the sound, but the new buds have a bit more of a skip in their step than before, as well as more detail around the edges of tones and instruments. For getting out the timbres and textures of instruments, the Ultra Earbuds take things to the next level. They don't have ANC, but that doesn't mean they're light on features. Battery life is 10 hours from the buds and another 20 from the carry case, and like Sony's pricier buds, they work with the Headphones Connect app, giving you greater control without crowding the buds with buttons. They can even upscale audio to near hi-res quality via Sony's DSEE technology, something we didn't expect to find for such a modest price. The bass is well done. It’s an exact and faithful representation with a significantly enhanced low end. These have lots of texture and detail and show great speed in pumping out the low notes. Bass heads should look elsewhere for quantity and sub-bass rumble. Low-end bass notes from a jazz double bass or broad electronic sweeps sound fantastic. Each one of the Aonics has something different to offer. Your decision will mainly be based on the sound signature that works best for you. Out of all the models, I have come very fondly of the Aonic 4. A great soundstage is my bias, and the Aonic 4 has that and more. In terms of what I think most people will prefer, I’d go for the Aonic 5. Shure has provided some top-notch earphones in this series, and I’m excited to see how they expand it further.

With a transparent section on each earpiece that allows you to see their inner workings, Shure's Aonic 5 are certainly an eye-catching pair of buds – but it's how they sound that earns them their place on this list. Let’s jump straight into the audio aspects of the Aonic 3. Obviously, the Aonic 3 is not as brilliant as the Aonic 4 and Aonic 5. Still, with just a single balanced armature driver, it delivers similar sound tuning and staging, offering a desirable sample of the Aonic range. There is no denying that the Aonic 3 delivers above-average musical details compared to other consumer earphones. Instruments have more space for presentation without sounding cluttered in my ears. First of all, you need to decide how much you are willing to spend, and that will also be somewhat determined by how you are going to use your new in-ear headphones. The buds are impressively small, and their lightweight design helps make them more comfortable than a whole host of rivals. Battery life is competitive at seven and a half hours, although the fact the charging case can only offer one extra charge seems a little stingy.First off, these headphones are not particularly expensive given their features and the price of competitors. That said, if you want the best ANC over-ears money can buy, spend it elsewhere, on the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless or the Sony WH-1000XM5. There is active noise cancellation here, and the presets are fine, but it isn't a class-leading experience. The battery level is more than sufficient at 45 hours, the build is classy, the companion app is excellent and the multipoint pairing experience has never let me down.

In case you're wondering whether the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2's headband is nicely padded, yes it is. (Image credit: Future) Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 review: Value Paolo Nutini's Loving You is a delight, with Nutini's textured voice held centrally among agile guitars and easy drums. If you’re happy with the price tag and can resist the bells and whistles promised by wireless earbuds, you'd be crazy not to give the Shure Aonic 3 a chance. The padding on both the earcups and headband is ample and personally, I love that the physical buttons are all one earcup, since I'm right-handed, although those with larger fingers (or lefties) may find this a little fiddly.

Shure's second-generation over-ears are great all-rounders

Deploying the Treble Cut EQ option is the panacea for the upper registers, but it really is worth switching out these profiles depending on your music. If you're someone who believes headphones should just sound good without having to lift a finger, you may not like this solution – and it's a fair point. Next up, Shure's Spatializer –no, nothing to do with turning vegetables into edible ribbons. In the app, under the device tab (see? It makes sense, it's a feature on the device) you can select spatial audio processing optimized for music, movies or a podcast. I found they brought all of these sources to life, adding depth, value and enjoyment to the whole testing process. The flies in the ointment? Occasionally the treble is a little forward in the mix and the ANC is a shade off excellent. Depending on your priorities, this either doesn't matter or is a deal-breaker. It's up to you. Apple's in-ear headphones have historically been decent but unremarkable wireless earbuds. They've performed solidly but not spectacularly over the years compared to the class leaders in their field – those from the likes of Sony and Bose, for example. But with the AirPods Pro 2, Apple has made a pair that delivers the goods. The noise-cancelling works a treat, while Adaptive Transparency muffles loud noises when letting in ambient sounds. And the sound quality? With weight, detail and a good dose of dynamic subtlety, they really are accomplished in-ears – not as good as the Sony WF-1000XM5 or Bose QC Ultra further up this list, but not miles away, either.